The invention pertains to a panoramic viewing system especially in a combat vehicle.
A panoramic viewing system is described in, for example, DE 102 17 177 A1. This direct view system with glass lenses is designed as a panoramic viewing device.
A panoramic viewing system of the applicant is described in detail in Jane's “International Defense Review” of Aug. 1, 2004. This system, which was introduced at an exhibition in Paris, comprises eight commercial cameras with 1 megapixel outputs. The cameras themselves can zoom into the areas which they cover. By means of a computer mouse, the operator can also look at images in the rear without having to turn his head in that direction. In this case, for example, digitally superimposed signatures tell the operator what direction he is looking in at the time. Digital correction, as briefly mentioned, is used to improve the transition when the operator switches his view from one camera to another. No further discussion of the panoramic viewing system is provided.
The company called “United Defense” also offers a panoramic viewing system, which it calls the “Enhanced Situational Awareness System—Eagle Vision™”, and which covers a 360° horizontal range. A display is located in the helmet of the operator.
At the Internet site www.octec.com/image processing products/functionality/-mosaic.html, a process is presented by means of which it is possible to connect individual digital images of an individual sensor to each other in such a way that a complete image in the form of a panoramic display is created. No overlaps are visible.
A panoramic monitoring system with a stationary camera is described in DE 694 29 028 T2 (EP 0 610 863 B1), where the device and also an algorithm for transforming individual visual or viewing fields with distorted perspective into several normal images with undistorted perspective are discussed. The device comprises means for controlling the omnidirectional view and for digitizing an incoming or previously recorded video signal, etc.